Capo tasto.



Patented Feb. 4, |902.

A E. H. WINCHELL. CAPI) TASTO (Application led O la? f' UNITED Freres FATENT rnicn.

EDVIN I-I. WINCI'IELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLESNV. FARRINGTON, OF DUIIU'III, MINNESOTA.

cAP'o TAS-ro.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No.. 692,7 5 l^,- dated February 4., 1902.

I Application iiledQctoher I6, i901. Serial No. 78.770. (No model.)

T0 cir/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. WINoHnLuof Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Capo Tastos, of which` the following is a specification. j

The invention relates to'guitars or other stringed instruments; and the object of the improvement is to provide means integral with the neck and finger-board of the instrument to be used in conjunction with a barpiece, whereby to produce a change of key and to make the bar-piece a part of the instrument proper for all the purposes and effects produced by the use of acapo tasto. I attain this object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a guitarneck, in fragment, with the keyboard in connection therewith containing my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken at the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is adetail showing a fragment of an enlarged longitudinal vertical section of a detached part. Fig. 4a is a perspective of the same part in fullsize. Fig.

5 is a detail showing an enlarged perspective of a detached part. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing a modification. Fig. 7 is a detail view similar to that of Fig. 5, but showing the modification.

In the drawings, A designates the neck or finger-board, and A the keyboard, of a guitar, having the strings ctjfrets a', and keys a2, all of the usual construction. I provide a series of hollow posts or studs B of metal and having a woodscrew thread cut on the outside and a machine-thread on the inside. These studs are screwed down into holes in the neck sufficient to hold them in place on a level with-the face of the neck alongside the frets and at the central line of the face, as illustrated in Fig. l. The keyboard is also provided with one of these studs near the end.

C is the bar-piece, which is adapted to be pressed across the strings and provided with a finger-piece C', fastened to the upper end of a pin c, passed looselythrough a holein the bar-piece at the center, so asto rotate and slightly play laterally therein, and provided witha shoulder opposite to the lingerpiece, whereby the said parts are connected permanently together. The projecting part ctof said pin is threaded to match the female thread of said studs..

In the modification the hollow ofthe studs instead of being threaded is chambered at the bottom, as shown at b, Fig. 6, the chamber being connected with the top by grooves b', Fig. 7, and the projecting part c of the pin is provided with lugs b2, suited to the grooves, and adapted to interlock with' the chamber when inserted through the grooves and turned out of the plane thereof. An interrupted screw may be used similarly.

In operation the bar-piece is detachably connectedrwith the keyboard by inserting the pin in the stud, near the end thereof, so as to be carried with the instrument as a part thereof, said part being out of the way and in convenient position to be detached and taken for connection with the linger-board by the player when desired for changing the key, which is effected by applying the projecting part of the pin in the stud of the finger-board at the proper fret,so as to clampthe bar-piece across the strings, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The bottom of the bar-piece is preferably covered with a layer of felt or similar soft material for contact with the strings of the instrument. vThe play of the pin c in the hole of .the bar-piece allows the latter to adjust itself to the strings as the pressure is applied to it to bring the strings down upon the fret.

What I claim isl. In a capo tasto and in combination a bar provided with a central opening, a shouldered pin with a part one side the shoulder fitting loosely inthe opening and a counterpart projecting from the bar and provided with engaging means, alinger-piece on the end of the pin adapted to hold it and rotate it in the opening of the bar, and a hollow stud p provided with an yexterior thread and interior engaging means suited to cooperate with the engaging means ofthe pin asand for the purposes specified.

2. The combination with the neck ofthe instrument of a series of lhollow studs set in the face along the central line and a bar-piece provided with a finger-piece, and projecting ICO pin having means to engage the hollow of the studs substantially as specified.

EDWIN H. WINCHELL. Witnesses:

ANNIE M. ADAMS, RACHEL ELIAssoF. 

